He was the eighth member of the Lions' 2013 commit class, and Nelson was the second o-line recruit of this class, joining Brendan Mahon from Randolph, NJ.

"I'm super excited," Nelson said Monday morning, after completing his first practice with Pennsylvania's Big 33 team at Lower Dauphin High School. "It's an amazing blessing and an opportunity that not a lot of kids have. I just can't wait to get there. It's awesome."

Nelson said he picked Penn State first and foremost because of the education.

But he said getting to play for coach Bill O'Brien was a very close second.

"I looked at the education first," Nelson said. "The education you can get at a big Division I program like that is just great. You can't beat the education at Penn State. And I also love the tradition at Penn State. But most importantly for me was the education."

Despite sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky case - including a bowl ban for the next three seasons - Nelson said he simply couldn't pass up playing for O'Brien, whose infectious style is winning over recruits, despite the loss of scholarships and no postseason the next three years.

"Honestly, I can't say one bad thing about Coach O'Brien," Nelson said. "I don't think he's taken a bad step since he's gotten there. I love his approach: That you take the cards your dealt and you do the best you can. And I think that's what the whole team is about: Showing that Penn State is about success with honor. He's inherited that motto.

"It's amazing that he'd come here, amidst these sanctions and all these things going down, yet try and turn the program around. That's awesome."

Nelson said he was impressed with everyone he came across at Penn State, from his recruiting process through signing day.

"How those guys took on the sanctions with their attitude is just amazing," he said. "It just shows you the integrity that those coaches have. I don't think I could find better coaches than the one's at Penn State."

Asked again about the sanctions and the lack of bowl games for at least the first three years that he'll be at Penn State, Nelson just smiled.

"Bowl games are great," he said. "But at the end of the day, that's not what football is all about."